-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fifteen people have now died after consuming cantaloupe contaminated with the listeria monocytogenes bacteria , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday .

At least 84 people in 19 states have become ill with the bacteria , the agency said . And the number of illnesses could still grow , added the CDC , citing reporting lags and how the disease can develop slowly in some people .

On Tuesday , the CDC was reporting 13 deaths and 72 illnesses in what was already then the deadliest food-borne illness outbreak in the United States since 1998 .

Five people have died in New Mexico from eating the tainted cantaloupes , the CDC said . Three people died in Colorado , two in Texas and one each in Kansas , Maryland , Missouri , Nebraska and Oklahoma .

Illnesses have also been reported in Alabama , Arkansas , California , Illinois , Indiana , Montana , North Dakota , Virginia , West Virginia , Wisconsin and Wyoming .

What you need to know about Listeria

Most of those who fell ill are more than 60 years old , the CDC said . Doctors also are closely monitoring the pregnancies of two women who ate contaminated cantaloupe , with the agency noting that listeriosis can cause miscarriages and stillbirths .

Older adults and people with compromised immune systems are also especially susceptible .

Public health investigators have traced the source of the bacteria to a farm in Granada , Colorado .

Food Poisoning 101

The grower , Jensen Farms , issued a recall for its Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes on September 14 . By now , the cantaloupes should all be off store shelves , the CDC said .

The agency warned that people should not eat Rocky Ford cantaloupes , even if they have eaten part of one and have not yet fallen ill . It also said that consumers should be wary of eating any cantaloupes if they do n't know where they came from .

How to keep your food safe

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Contaminated cantaloupes have caused illnesses in 19 states , the CDC says

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In addition to the deaths , a total of 84 people have fallen ill , the agency says

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The fruits are thought to be tainted by listeria monocytogenes bacteria

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Colorado-based Jensen Farms has recalled its cantaloupes